Fixing a Printing Problem in the Library | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Mein Dokument steckt in der Druckerwarteschlange fest, und es kommt nichts heraus.

   My document is stuck in the printer queue, and nothing is coming out.

   Dokument

   document

   steckt

   is stuck

   in

   in

   der

   the

   Druckerwarteschlange

   printer queue

   fest

   stuck

   es

   dummy it

   nichts

   nothing

   kommt … heraus

   comes out

   More detail

   Dokument means “document” here. It is a neuter noun: das Dokument in the singular and die Dokumente in the plural. The capital letter marks it as a noun in German. steckt is the third-person singular present form used in the separable verb feststecken, meaning “to be stuck” or “to be lodged.” In this sentence, the prefix fest is separated from the verb: steckt ... fest. Example: Der Schlüssel steckt im Schloss fest. — “The key is stuck in the lock.” in introduces the location. For a static location, German uses the dative after the two-way preposition in; movement into a place would normally use the accusative instead. Here the relevant pattern is in + dative because the document is already located in the queue. der means “the” in this phrase. It is the dative singular feminine form of the definite article, required here because in expresses a static location and Druckerwarteschlange is feminine: die Druckerwarteschlange → in der Druckerwarteschlange. The form is chosen by both the noun’s grammatical gender and the location construction, not by singularity alone. Druckerwarteschlange means “printer queue.” It is a compound noun: Drucker means “printer,” and Warteschlange means “queue” or “waiting line.” The final part, Warteschlange, determines the compound’s grammatical gender, so the noun is feminine: die Druckerwarteschlange. fest completes the separable verb feststecken in this sentence’s separated form: steckt ... fest. Together, steckt ... fest means “is stuck.” The verb form carries the person and number, while fest contributes the state of being unable to move. Example: Der Zug steckt im Schnee fest. — “The train is stuck in the snow.” es is an expletive pronoun in es kommt nichts heraus; it occupies the initial subject position but does not refer to the document or another specific object. The actual message is that nothing is coming out. It is therefore not translated as a referential “it” in the fixed English translation. nichts is the negative pronoun “nothing.” In this clause it is the grammatical subject of kommt ... heraus, while es is an expletive element in the initial position. Example: Nichts kommt heraus. — “Nothing comes out.” kommt ... heraus is the separated present-tense form of herauskommen, “to come out.” kommt is the third-person singular form of kommen, and the separable prefix heraus appears at the end of the clause. In a subordinate clause, the parts stay together at the end: ..., weil nichts herauskommt. — “... because nothing comes out.” Together, Mein Dokument steckt in der Druckerwarteschlange fest says “My document is stuck in the printer queue.” und es kommt nichts heraus adds “and nothing is coming out.” The whole utterance therefore reports two connected facts: the document remains stuck in the queue, and no output is emerging.

2. Lass uns den Bildschirm prüfen, bevor wir den Druckauftrag noch einmal senden.

   Let's check the screen before sending the job again.

   Lass uns

   let’s

   den Bildschirm

   the screen

   prüfen

   check

   bevor

   before

   den Druckauftrag

   the print job

   noch einmal

   again

   senden

   send

   More detail

   Lass uns is a reusable way to suggest a joint action: it uses the imperative Lass of lassen with uns (“us”), followed by an infinitive. The suggestion includes the speaker and at least one other person; the sentence does not specify how many listeners there are. Example: Lass uns anfangen. — “Let’s start.” den Bildschirm means “the screen” here. Bildschirm is a masculine noun; in this object position, the definite article is accusative singular: der Bildschirm (subject form) becomes den Bildschirm (object form). Example: Ich sehe den Bildschirm. — “I see the screen.” prüfen is the infinitive “to check” or “to inspect.” Its present-tense forms include ich prüfe, du prüfst, and er/sie/es prüft; its past participle is geprüft. After Lass uns, the infinitive remains prüfen. bevor introduces a subordinate clause that sets a later event as the reference point: here, checking happens before the sending. German places that clause’s finite verb at the end: bevor wir ... senden. Example: Prüfe die Adresse, bevor du die Nachricht sendest. — “Check the address before you send the message.” den Druckauftrag means “the print job.” Druckauftrag is a masculine compound noun, so its definite article is der in the subject form and den in the accusative singular object form. Example: Ich starte den Druckauftrag. — “I start the print job.” noch einmal means “again” or “one more time.” It marks the sending as a repetition without itself specifying how many earlier attempts there were. senden means “to send.” In the bevor clause, wir is the subject and den Druckauftrag is the object. The observed form senden is the finite present-tense form for wir; it happens to look identical to the infinitive senden. The subordinate-clause position places this finite verb at the end. Example: Wir senden den Druckauftrag. — “We send the print job.” Together, Lass uns den Bildschirm prüfen means “Let’s check the screen.” The subordinate clause bevor wir den Druckauftrag noch einmal senden adds “before we send the print job again.” The whole utterance is: “Let’s check the screen before sending the job again.”

3. Ich habe beidseitigen Druck ausgewählt, aber auf dem Display wird ein Fehler angezeigt.

   I chose double-sided printing, but the display shows an error.

   Ich habe

   I have

   beidseitigen

   double-sided

   Druck

   printing

   ausgewählt

   selected; chose

   aber

   but

   Display

   display

   wird … angezeigt

   is displayed

   Fehler

   error

   More detail

   Ich habe uses haben in the first-person singular present: ich habe = “I have.” Here it is the auxiliary for the perfect tense, together with the later participle ausgewählt, so the completed action is “I chose.” Example: Ich habe die Option gewählt. — “I chose the option.” beidseitigen means “double-sided” here. Its base form is beidseitig; the ending -en marks the adjective as accusative masculine in beidseitigen Druck. The adjective describes Druck, not ausgewählt. Druck is a masculine noun. In this sentence, the context identifies the relevant sense as printing or a print setting, not physical pressure. Example: Der Druck ist beidseitig. — “The printing is double-sided.” ausgewählt is the past participle of auswählen (“to select”): ich wähle aus — “I select,” and ich habe ausgewählt — “I selected.” With haben, this participle forms the perfect tense. The choice in this sentence is the double-sided printing option. aber is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but.” It contrasts the completed selection with the result reported in the second part. Display is a neuter noun meaning “display.” The phrase auf dem Display means “on the display”; after auf expresses a fixed location, dem is the dative form of the definite article for a neuter noun. Example: Die Meldung steht auf dem Display. — “The message is on the display.” wird ... angezeigt is a present passive construction. wird is the third-person singular present form of werden, and angezeigt is the past participle of anzeigen (“to display” or “show”): Das Display zeigt einen Fehler an. — “The display shows an error.” In the passive, the displayed item becomes the grammatical subject: Ein Fehler wird angezeigt. — “An error is displayed.” Fehler is a masculine noun meaning “error” or “fault.” In this sentence, it refers to the error message shown on the display. The indefinite article ein in the full sentence introduces that item; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. Together, Ich habe beidseitigen Druck ausgewählt says “I chose double-sided printing.” aber auf dem Display wird ein Fehler angezeigt says “but an error is shown on the display.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I chose double-sided printing, but the display shows an error.”

4. Es könnte ein Papierstau vorliegen, also lass die Tasten erst einmal in Ruhe.

   There may be a paper jam, so leave the controls alone for now.

   Es könnte

   it might

   Papierstau

   paper jam

   vorliegen

   be present

   also

   so

   lass

   leave

   Tasten

   controls

   erst einmal

   for now

   in Ruhe

   alone; undisturbed

   More detail

   Es könnte introduces a possibility. könnte is the third-person singular form of können in the subjunctive II, used here for “might/could”; the impersonal es does not identify a person. A reusable pattern is Es könnte ... + an infinitive clause: Es könnte regnen. — “It might rain.” Papierstau is a masculine compound noun: das Papier + der Stau, with the whole noun meaning “paper jam.” Its plural is Papierstaus. In this sentence it names the possible printer problem, not an action by a person. vorliegen means “be present” or “exist,” especially in a diagnostic or formal statement about a condition or problem. It is the infinitive here because könnte carries the finite verb position: Es könnte ein Fehler vorliegen. — “There might be an error.” The noun phrase ein Papierstau is the thing that may be present. also connects the possible problem with the resulting instruction: “so” or “therefore.” It does not itself express the possibility; that meaning comes from könnte. lass is the informal singular imperative of lassen, addressed to one person with du. In lass ... in Ruhe, it contributes the instruction “leave ... alone.” Compare the infinitive lassen with the imperative Lass die Tür offen! — “Leave the door open!” Tasten is the plural of the feminine noun die Taste, meaning a key or button; in this printer context, “controls” is the intended translation. The plural ending is part of the noun form: eine Taste — “one button/key,” mehrere Tasten — “several buttons/keys.” erst einmal is a fixed temporal expression meaning “for now” or “for the moment” here. It makes the instruction temporary or immediate rather than stating that the controls must never be touched. in Ruhe means “undisturbed” or “alone.” With lassen, the reusable pattern is jemanden/etwas in Ruhe lassen — “to leave someone/something alone.” Here it applies to die Tasten; the phrase does not itself mean “controls.” Together, Es könnte ein Papierstau vorliegen says “There may be a paper jam.” also marks the consequence, and lass die Tasten erst einmal in Ruhe says “so leave the controls alone for now.” The complete utterance is therefore: “There may be a paper jam, so leave the controls alone for now.”

5. Ich möchte den Auftrag nicht noch einmal senden und damit einen weiteren Auftrag in die Warteschlange stellen.

   I do not want to resend it and add another job to the queue.

   Ich möchte

   I want to

   Auftrag

   job; order

   nicht

   not

   noch einmal

   again

   senden

   send

   damit

   thereby

   weiteren

   another; further

   Warteschlange

   queue

   stellen

   put; place

   More detail

   Ich möchte expresses “I want” here. möchte is the form used with an infinitive to state a present wish or intention; the infinitive comes later in each coordinated part. For example: Ich möchte warten. — “I want to wait.” Auftrag means “job” in this technical context; it can also mean “order” in other contexts. The form is the masculine noun der Auftrag. In den Auftrag, den marks the masculine accusative singular, the thing being sent. The same noun appears again in einen weiteren Auftrag, where it is another masculine accusative singular object. nicht negates the wanted action. Here it applies to sending the job again: the speaker does not want to resend it. noch einmal is a reusable expression meaning “again” or “once more.” It combines noch (“still/yet” in many contexts) with einmal (“once”), but together here it means repetition. Example: Bitte sag das noch einmal. — “Please say that again.” senden is the infinitive “to send.” After möchte, it remains in the infinitive and comes at the end of the first coordinated part: den Auftrag nicht noch einmal senden — “not resend the job.” damit means “thereby” or “by doing that” here. It links the second action to the first: sending the job again would thereby cause another job to be put in the queue. In this use, it is not the purpose conjunction damit meaning “so that.” weiteren means “another” or “additional” here. Its base adjective is weiter (“further”). The ending -en belongs to the adjective weiteren, not to Auftrag: after the masculine accusative article einen, the adjective has this weak ending. Compare ein weiterer Auftrag (nominative) with einen weiteren Auftrag (accusative). Warteschlange means “queue.” It is a feminine noun: die Warteschlange; after movement into it, in die Warteschlange uses the accusative form of the article. The compound is especially natural for a processing or print queue. stellen means “to put” or “to place” here. Its base form is also stellen; the form does not show a separate tense or person ending because it is an infinitive. The pattern etwas in die Warteschlange stellen means “put something into the queue.” Example: Das Programm stellt den Auftrag in die Warteschlange. — “The program puts the job in the queue.” Together, Ich möchte den Auftrag nicht noch einmal senden means “I do not want to resend the job.” und damit einen weiteren Auftrag in die Warteschlange stellen adds the linked consequence: “and thereby put another job into the queue.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I do not want to resend it and add another job to the queue.”

6. Ich kann den fehlgeschlagenen Auftrag abbrechen, bevor du es noch einmal versuchst.

   I can cancel the failed job before you try again.

   Ich kann

   I can

   fehlgeschlagenen

   failed

   Auftrag

   job

   abbrechen

   cancel

   bevor

   before

   du

   you

   es

   it

   noch einmal

   again

   versuchst

   try

   More detail

   Ich kann combines the subject ich (“I”) with kann, the present-tense first-person singular form of können (“can; be able to”). The infinitive belonging to this modal verb comes later: abbrechen remains an infinitive rather than changing to a finite form. Example: Ich kann warten. — “I can wait.” fehlgeschlagenen means “failed” here and describes Auftrag. Its base form is the adjective fehlgeschlagen; the ending -en reflects the masculine accusative noun phrase den fehlgeschlagenen Auftrag. The adjective itself carries this ending, not the noun. Example: Wir prüfen den fehlgeschlagenen Versuch. — “We are checking the failed attempt.” Auftrag means “job” in this context. It is a masculine noun: der Auftrag in the basic form, but den Auftrag here because it is the direct object of abbrechen. Depending on context, Auftrag can also mean an assignment or order; the fixed translation supports “job” here. abbrechen means “cancel” here. It is also used for stopping or breaking off something, so the exact English choice depends on the object and situation. As the infinitive after kann, it stays at the end of the main clause. Example: Wir müssen den Vorgang abbrechen. — “We have to cancel the process.” bevor introduces a subordinate clause meaning “before.” In the clause it introduces, the finite verb goes to the end: bevor du es noch einmal versuchst. This pattern is reusable with another subject or verb, for example: Bevor du gehst, ruf mich an. — “Before you leave, call me.” du is the informal singular “you.” It is the subject of the subordinate clause, and versuchst agrees with it. Formal “you” would use a different form and capitalization, Sie. es is a neuter accusative pronoun meaning “it” in this construction. Its exact concrete referent is supplied by the situation; here it represents the thing being tried again. The pronoun has its own grammatical form and does not reveal the gender of that contextual referent in English. Example: Ich öffne es später. — “I will open it later.” noch einmal is a two-word adverbial expression meaning “again” or “once more.” It modifies versuchst, so the trying is repeated. noch alone does not have this complete meaning here; the expression noch einmal is the reusable pattern. Example: Bitte versuche es noch einmal. — “Please try it again.” versuchst means “try” here. Its base form is versuchen; versuchst is the present-tense second-person singular form used with du. In the subordinate clause, this finite verb appears at the end because of bevor. Example: Du versuchst es später. — “You try it later.” Together, Ich kann ... abbrechen means “I can cancel ...”: the modal kann expresses ability or possibility, while abbrechen supplies the action. The object is den fehlgeschlagenen Auftrag, “the failed job.” The final clause, bevor du es noch einmal versuchst, sets the time relation: the cancellation can happen before the other person tries the relevant thing again. The complete meaning is therefore: “I can cancel the failed job before you try again.”

7. Könntest du den Drucker überprüfen, bevor ich noch etwas sende?

   Could you check the printer before I send anything else?

   Könntest du

   Could you

   Drucker

   printer

   überprüfen

   check

   bevor

   before

   noch etwas

   anything else

   sende

   send

   More detail

   Könntest du is a polite way to ask whether the listener would be able to do something. könntest is the second-person singular form of können in the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II): du könntest = “you could.” The form softens the request; it does not itself state that the action will happen. A reusable pattern is Könntest du ...? + infinitive. Drucker means “printer.” Its base form is the masculine noun der Drucker; here den Drucker is accusative because it is the thing being checked. The article, rather than the noun ending, shows this case distinction: der Drucker (nominative) → den Drucker (accusative). überprüfen means “to check” or “to inspect.” It is the infinitive used after the modal verb könntest: du könntest den Drucker überprüfen = “you could check the printer.” In a main clause with the modal, the modal is finite and the lexical verb remains in the infinitive at the end: Du könntest das Gerät überprüfen. = “You could check the machine.” bevor introduces a clause meaning “before.” In the clause it introduces, the finite verb goes to the end. This conjunction expresses the time relationship; it does not itself say how long the first action takes. noch etwas means “anything else” in this context. etwas is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something” or, in a question or negative-like context such as this one, “anything”; noch adds the sense of “more” or “additional.” Together, the phrase refers to an additional unspecified thing, without stating what that thing is. For example: Möchtest du noch etwas? = “Would you like anything else?” sende is the first-person singular present form of senden, “to send”: ich sende = “I send” or “I am sending.” It appears at the end because it is the finite verb of the subordinate clause introduced by bevor. The subject ich identifies the sender in this sentence. For example: Ich sende die Datei später. = “I will send the file later.” Together, Könntest du den Drucker überprüfen asks politely whether the listener could check the printer. bevor ich noch etwas sende adds the time condition “before I send anything else.” The complete meaning is: “Could you check the printer before I send anything else?”

8. Ich sehe nach, aber bitte öffne das Gerät nicht selbst.

   I'll take a look, but please do not open the machine yourself.

   sehe … nach

   check; take a look

   bitte

   please

   öffne

   open

   Gerät

   device; machine

   selbst

   yourself; by yourself

   More detail

   sehe ... nach is the separable verb nachsehen, meaning “to check” or “to take a look.” In the present tense, its first-person singular form is ich sehe; the prefix nach moves to the end of the clause: Ich sehe nach. The related form du siehst nach means “you check.” Here Ich makes the speaker the person who will check, without stating an object for that checking action. bitte marks the request as polite. It can introduce a request or appear within one, as here: Bitte öffne das Gerät. öffne is the informal singular imperative of öffnen, “to open.” The understood subject is du, the person being addressed. Compare the reusable pattern Öffne die Tür! — “Open the door!” The negative word nicht negates this request: Öffne die Tür nicht! means “Do not open the door!” Gerät means “device” or, in this context, “machine.” Its base form is the neuter noun das Gerät; after öffnen, it is the direct object and remains das Gerät in the accusative because neuter definite articles have the same form in the nominative and accusative. Example: Ich öffne das Fenster. — “I open the window.” selbst emphasizes that the addressed person should do something personally or without someone else doing it. In this sentence, öffne ... selbst means “open it yourself.” It is an adverb and does not change for person or number. Example: Mach es selbst. — “Do it yourself.” The first clause, Ich sehe nach, says that the speaker will check or take a look. aber means “but” and contrasts that action with the following request. Bitte öffne das Gerät nicht selbst asks the addressee not to open the device personally. Together, the utterance means: “I’ll take a look, but please do not open the machine yourself.”

9. Ich warte hier, während du nachsiehst.

   I'll wait here while you check it.

   Ich

   I

   warte

   wait

   hier

   here

   während

   while

   du

   you

   nachsiehst

   check / take a look

   More detail

   Ich is the first-person singular pronoun, “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person who waits. A useful contrast is du, “you,” for the person addressed. warte comes from the verb warten, “to wait.” It is the present-tense first-person singular form: ich warte. Example: Ich warte dort. — “I’m waiting there.” hier means “here,” referring to the speaker’s location. It can be moved for emphasis, but in this sentence it follows warte: Ich warte hier — “I’ll wait here.” während introduces a time relation meaning “while.” It introduces the clause describing the activity that happens during the waiting. In German, a clause introduced by während is subordinate, so its conjugated verb goes to the end. du is the second-person singular pronoun, “you.” It is the subject of the clause after während, and it pairs with the second-person singular form of the verb. nachsiehst is the second-person singular present form of nachsehen, meaning “to check” or “to take a look.” The form is du siehst nach; in the subordinate clause, the separable verb appears together at the end as nachsiehst. Compare the main-clause order Du siehst nach. — “You check.” The fixed translation supplies “it” as the intended object, although German leaves that object implicit in the observed wording. Together, Ich warte hier gives “I’ll wait here,” and während du nachsiehst gives “while you check it.” The complete utterance means: “I’ll wait here while you check it.” The present forms describe the two actions in the current situation; English naturally uses “I’ll wait” for the intended future-oriented arrangement.

10. Das hilft uns, das Problem zu beheben, ohne weitere Druckaufträge hinzuzufügen.

    That will help us clear the problem without adding more print jobs.

    Das

    that

    hilft

    helps

    uns

    us

    das

    the

    Problem

    problem

    zu beheben

    to fix

    ohne

    without

    weitere

    additional; more

    Druckaufträge

    print jobs

    hinzuzufügen

    to add

    More detail

    Das is the subject here and means “that,” referring to something understood from the situation. As a demonstrative pronoun, it has the neuter form das; the sentence itself does not identify a more specific referent. Do not confuse this use with the article das later in the sentence. hilft is the present-tense third-person singular form of helfen, “to help.” The relevant pattern is jemandem helfen: the person helped is marked as an indirect object, while the thing that helps can be the subject. German present tense can describe a future result when the context makes that timing clear, which is compatible with “will help” here. uns is the first-person plural form meaning “us.” With helfen, it is the dative form: Das hilft uns means “That helps us.” das Problem means “the problem.” In this noun phrase, das is the definite article, and Problem is a neuter noun. The phrase is the object understood with beheben: it is the problem that is fixed or cleared. zu beheben means “to fix” or “to clear.” Its base form is beheben; the zu-infinitive lets it express the action that the help makes possible: helfen, etwas zu beheben (“help to fix something”). Beheben is used for removing or resolving a problem, fault, or difficulty, rather than simply repairing any physical object. ohne introduces an action that does not happen: ohne ... zu means “without doing ...” in this construction. The infinitive phrase after it describes what is avoided while the problem is being cleared. weitere means “more” or “additional” here. It is the inflected form modifying the plural noun Druckaufträge; it does not itself state a particular number. The adjective weiter can also have other meanings in German, but in this sentence it adds further print jobs to the relevant set. Druckaufträge means “print jobs.” It is the plural form of Druckauftrag, a job or order for printing. Because it follows weitere without a definite article, the phrase refers generally to additional print jobs, not to a specifically identified set. hinzuzufügen means “to add.” Its base verb is the separable verb hinzufügen. With zu, the prefix and verb appear as hinzuzufügen; this is the infinitive required by the ohne ... zu construction. Here, the print jobs are what would be added. Together, Das hilft uns says “That will help us,” das Problem zu beheben specifies the goal, and ohne weitere Druckaufträge hinzuzufügen says that this can happen without adding more print jobs. The complete meaning is: “That will help us clear the problem without adding more print jobs.”